Year 12 English Residential to Haworth

On Friday the 6th of February our A level English students went forth to visit the glacial regions of Yorkshire in hope to encounter the legendary moors in order to enhance their understanding of Emily Bronte's novel 'Wuthering Heights' for their coursework. Within the two days, they were given a chance to listen to two lectures on the novel’s analytical characteristics as well as its raw background. They also visited the Bronte's museum and climbed the hilly landscape which Yorkshire had to offer.

The day began with a tour around the delightful petite village which was skilfully adapted to its environment. Here, primordial buildings stand side by side to newer and more modern shops and house as though it was the norm. It was a refreshing sight as it was something abnormal and unfeasible to us as we could not look beyond the silvery skyscrapers back home. Semi-destroyed mills arise amongst the stagnated station that was once the catalyst to the industrial revolution. We were told stories about the very cobles beneath our feet, about the lives of the men and women struggling to survive amongst the thick smog of the revolution. Yet here they are, still standing.

The lectures were both fruitful and intense. We were provided with rich analysis as well as a background to the writer’s life. This would then be interpreted in our own work in order for us to have a clear image of who exactly Emily was and what it is that she aimed for us to feel and acknowledge when reading her novel. The trip to her museum helped paint a vivid picture of her own personal life as well as keeping an element of mystery which remains to be solved. Perhaps her own lifestyle was mirrored through the lives of the very characters in her novel. All in all, our understanding of Wuthering Heights will continue to be expanded.

Despite the excitement the experience that stood out was the opportunity to visit the scarce landscapes that laid the foundation for the novel and moulded Emily's very character. The moors were eternal. Land after land was all that was on show. Yet, you were conscious of the fact that you were miles away from another soul. Perhaps this was the very environment that enlightened Emily as her own solitude proved to be enough. The moors stood as a barrier between her and the misfortunate and distressing truth that lingered. Since the moors are empty, they are free from imperfection thus free from judgment and expectation. Free from social standards. All in all, they are refreshing.